How to Play Apple Music on iPod Nano/Shuffle/Classic/Touch [Updated]

When trying to sync Apple Music to iPod classic, nano, or shuffle, you'll probably get an error message saying "Apple Music cannot be copied to an iPod". In fact, many other iPod users are also facing the same problem as you do. Currently, only iPod touch supports downloading and streaming songs from Apple Music. If you are using an iPod nano or shuffle, or even the older iPod classic, you won't be able to play Apple Music within Apple iPod music player.

But now, that problem can be solved for good thanks to the development of a third-party Apple Music to iPod converter. No matter whether you are using an old iPod like iPod classic, nano, or shuffle or iPod touch, you can easily transfer Apple Music to iPod for playing without limits after conversion. Today, in this article, we list several approaches to play Apple Music on iPod. Whichever iPod modes you are using, you can choose the corresponding solution to play Apple Music on iPod smoothly.

Part 1. FAQs about Apple Music iPod Compatibility

Q1. Does iPod nano have Apple Music?

A: No, iPod nano doesn't have Apple Music. At the same time, you cannot sync Apple Music to iPod nano.

Q2. Can Apple Music songs be copied to an iPod?

A: Apple Music songs cannot be copied to an iPod if Apple Music is not available. You are not allowed to copy Apple Music songs to iPod classicm, nano, and shuffle.

Q3. Does Apple Music work on iPod touch?

A: Apple Music works on iPod touch. So, you can play and download Apple Music on your iPod touch if you have an Apple Music subscription.

Q4. What iPods are compatible with Apple Music?

A: Apple Music requires an iPod touch from 5th generation to 7th generation with iOS 8.4 or newer. Thus, you won't be able to listen to Apple Music on your older iPod.

Part 2. Why iPod Nana/Shuffle/Classic Not Syncing with Apple Music

Before knowing how to play Apple Music on iPod nano, shuffle, classic, and touch, let us figure out the reason that stops us playing Apple Music on iPod models except for iPod touch. Unlike iPod touch, those old iPod models, including iPod nano, classic, and shuffle, lack WiFi capabilities so that Apple can't authenticate whether or not the device has an active Apple Music subscription. Once that's allowed, users will freely download all Apple Music songs to iPods then cancel the service permanently. As result, users can keep track of Apple Music on iPod forever without any cost.

To avoid such a situation, Apple protects Apple Music songs in M4P to disable the sync between Apple Music and iPod nano, shuffle, or classic, as well as, other common MP3 players that do not have WiFi capabilities. Finally, only select devices that support Apple Music could stream and play songs from Apple Music properly.

Part 3. How to Put Apple Music Songs on iPod Nana/Shuffle/Classic

To break the limits on Apple Music, you need to convert Apple Music to some unprotected formats like MP3 and M4A. Then you play Apple Music on any iPod models and even any other devices. Here you meet ViWizard Apple Music Converter, a smart audio converter to enable you to put Apple Music songs on iPod nano, shuffle, or classic easily.

ViWizard Audio Converter can convert Apple Music to MP3, AAC, and other formats that are supported by all models of iPod. Otherwise, ViWizard software can remove DRM from iTunes and convert iTunes audios and Audible books to unprotected audios. In this way, you can not only sync Apple Music to iPod but also keep Apple Music songs forever on iPod even when the subscription ends. Now learn how to put Apple Music on iPod nano, shuffle, or classic for playing.

Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter

• Support to download and convert Apple Music with lossless quality
• Convert Apple Music to MP3, FLAC, M4A, M4B, WAV, AAC losslessly
• Remove the built-in protection from Apple Music, iTunes, and Audible
• Handle the conversion of audios in batch at the faster speed of 30×

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Guide: How to Convert Apple Music to iPod Nano/Shuffle/Classic

The following guide tutorial will show you the whole steps to convert Apple Music songs to iPod by using ViWizard Apple Music Converter. So, you can then transfer Apple Music to iPod nano, shuffle, and classic as expected.

Step 1Add Apple Music Songs to ViWizard

After installing ViWizard Apple Music Converter, click the shortcut icon on the desktop to launch it. Then click the Load iTunes Library button to load the Apple Music tracks from your iTunes library folder. You can also import the offline songs from Apple Music to the converter via drag-and-drop.

Step 2Customize Output Settings

Once the Apple Music songs are completely added to ViWizard Apple Music Converter, move to the Format panel and click the MP3 format. Then in the popup window, you can choose the output format as MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, or others as you want. In order to make the converted songs compatible with iPod, you are suggested to select MP3 as the output. You can also set other parameters including audio codec, channel, sample rate, bit rate according to your own requirements.

Step 3Convert Apple Music to iPod

Now simply click the Convert button at the right corner to let the program begin converting Apple Music songs to MP3 format for iPod. The whole conversion time depends on the number of songs you are converting. Normally it will process at up to 30X faster speed. Then we can copy Apple Music to iPod easily.

Guide: How to Transfer Apple Music to iPod Nano/Shuffle/Classic

Once converted, you can find the unprotected Apple Music songs in the converted folder by clicking the Converted button. Then you can copy Apple Music songs to iPod nano, shuffle, or classic from your computer with iTunes or through a USB folder.

Option 1. Sync Apple Music to iPod Shuffle/Nano/Classic with iTunes

Step 1. Connect your iPod nano, shuffle, or classic to your computer with iTunes.

Step 2. Click Music > Sync Music and select the checkbox next to Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres.

Step 3. In the Playlist section, choose Recently added which includes the unprotected Apple Music songs that you put in the iTunes library.

Step 4. Click Apply and iTunes will automatically sync Apple Music songs to your iPod as expected.

Option 2. Put Apple Music on iPod Shuffle/Nano/Classic via USB

Step 1. Connect iPad nano, classic, or shuffle to your computer via USB cable.

Step 2. Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel on the computer, then double click on the Folder Options.

Step 3. Scroll down until you see an option to enable hidden files and folders. Then click on it and select Apply to close the window.

Step 4. Navigate to the My Computer folder on your computer. Double click on it to find the iPod folder.

Step 5. Select and copy the convert Apple Music songs from your computer and paste them into this folder.

Step 6. Wait for the songs to finish transferring. Once done, unplug your iPod and you'll be able to enjoy Apple Music on iPod freely.

Part 4. How to Play Apple Music on iPod Touch [2nd to 7th Generation]

It's much easier to sync Apple Music if you are using iPod touch as it's a native app supported by iPod touch. Here's the complete guide to download and play Apple Music on iPod touch.

Step 1. On iPod touch, open the Apple Music app. Then sign into Apple Music with your Apple ID.

Step 2. Touch and hold a song in the library , then tap the Add to Library button.

Step 3. To download Apple Music songs on iPod touch, just touch and hold music you add to the library, then tap on the Download button.

Now you'll start playing any Apple Music song on iPod touch as you wish. If you don't want to subscribe to Apple Music, you can use ViWizard Audio Converter to keep Apple Music songs forever. Then you can listen to Apple Music on your iPod touch without limits.

Conclusion

Although those old models of iPod are not compatible with Apple Music, you can use ViWizard Audio Converter to convert Apple Music to iPod for playing anytime. If you have an iPod touch, you can directly log into Apple Music on your iPod and listen to your favorite songs. Just follow the above instructions and start to transfer Apple Music to iPod for listening.

Adam Gorden is an experienced writer of ViWizard who is obsessed about tech, movie and software.